With today being National Night Out, it is a perfect time for a change in leadership at the NYPD as it was necessary in order for a new and collaborative direction between the community and officers. While I am still appalled by the lack of an apology from Commissioner Bratton after the use of excessive force used against me on Saturday, I can and will commend him for his decades of public service and his attempt to keep New Yorkers safe. I commend Mayor de Blasio for taking necessary action to help our communities to heal and move forward together positively with this decisive change.
I know incoming Commissioner Jimmy O’Neill, and he is a selfless leader who is ready to lead. He was born in East Flatbush, spent more than thirty years serving in the New York Police Department including as a transit officer patrolling the A and D subway lines on the 8 pm–4 am shift and became a precinct commander of the 4-4 in the East Bronx, which is the precinct that covers where my District Office is located. Incoming Commissioner O’Neill is the architect of the Neighborhood Correction Officer program to help improve community and police relations.
I look forward to working with Commissioner O’Neill as we collectively rebuild the trust between our communities and the police, use this as a moment for comprehensive reform and improvements for training, interactions, use of force, criminal justice and to build a new bond between law enforcement and the community.
